Two arrested in France over ‘imminent’ election attack

They were arrested on the suspicion that they were planning an attack during the country's presidential election.

Two men were arrested in Marseille, France on April 18 on the suspicion that they may have been planning an attack during the upcoming presidential elections, according to media reports.

Police and agents from France’s internal security agency arrested the men a few minutes apart and believe they “self-radicalized” in prison, Interior Minister Matthias Fekl said.

AFP reported that police found firearms and bomb-making materials during searches in Marseille.

The two men, who have not yet been publicly identified, are French nationals born in 1987 and 1993.

Elections begin Sunday

France will begin the process of electing a new president on April 23, with a second round of voting on May 7.

The country has been under a state of emergency since the November 2015 attacks in Paris. In December, the National Assembly voted to maintain the emergency laws through the election until July 15, 2017.